Systems and methods to wirelessly meter audio/visual devices

• US 8,763,022 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US12/088,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,751 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/50 characterised by the use of watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Example systems and methods to wirelessly meter audio/visual (A/V) devices are disclosed. A disclosed example method receives media content from an A/V source device, embeds a video overlay in the wirelessly received media content, and wirelessly transmits the media content and the video overlay to the wireless A/V device. The example method wirelessly receives audience identification information in response to the transmitted video overlay, and wirelessly receives audience behavior information.

Claims

1. A method to identify a source of media activity, comprising:

embedding, at a household, a first watermark in media received from a household media device;

wirelessly retransmitting the media with the first watermark to a portable television via a wireless access point at the household;

acoustically receiving audio-based media emanating from the portable television at the household; and

determining whether the audio-based media acoustically received from the portable television is sourced from the household media device or a local television station based on whether the audio-based media includes the first watermark embedded at the household.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media comprises an audio/visual (A/V) signal having an audio portion and a video portion.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the A/V signal is at least one of a set-top box A/V signal, a video game console A/V signal, a video cassette recorder (VCR) A/V signal, a digital video recorder (DVR) A/V signal, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) A/V signal.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the A/V signal is converted to a radio frequency (RF) signal.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the RF signal is transmitted as an 802.11 compliant signal.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising detecting a second watermark in the retransmitted media, the second watermark associated with broadcaster generated media identification information.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising ignoring the audio-based media emanating from the portable television when the first watermark is absent.

8. A tangible machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

embed, at a household, a first watermark in media received from a media device located at the household;

wirelessly retransmit the first media and the first watermark to a portable television via a wireless access point at the household;

acoustically receive audio-based media emanating from the portable television at the household; and

determine whether the audio-based media acoustically received from the portable television is sourced from the household media device or a source external to the household based on whether the audio-based media includes the first watermark embedded at the household.

9. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to receive the media as an audio/visual (A/V) signal having an audio portion and a video portion.

10. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 9, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to receive the A/V signal as at least one of a set-top box A/V signal, a video game console A/V signal, a video cassette recorder (VCR) A/V signal, a digital video recorder (DVR) A/V signal, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) A/V signal.

11. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 9, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to convert the A/V signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal.

12. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 9, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal as an 802.11 compliant signal.

13. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to detect a second watermark in the audio-based media emanating from the portable television, the second watermark associated with broadcaster generated media identification information.

14. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8, wherein the machine accessible instructions further cause the machine to ignore the audio-based media emanating from the portable television when the first watermark is absent.

15. A system to distinguish media from a household media source from media from an external media source, comprising:

a wireless interface to embed, at a household, a watermark in media received from a household media device, and to wirelessly retransmit the watermark and the media from a transmission point within the household and to a portable television also within the household; and

a mobile device interface to acoustically receive audio-based media emanating from the portable television within the household and, to determine whether the audio-based media acoustically received from the portable television is sourced from the household media device or the external media source based on whether the audio-based media includes the first watermark which was embedded at the household.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the household media device provides the media and comprises at least one of a set-top box, a video game console, a digital versatile disk (DVD) player, a digital video recorder (DVR), or a video cassette recorder (VCR).

17. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the wireless interface comprises a radio frequency (RF) receiver to receive a signal indicative of audience member identity.

18. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless access point to convert the media to a radio frequency (RF) signal.

19. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the mobile device interface comprises a microphone to receive an audio signal from the portable television.

20. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the mobile device interface comprises an infra-red (IR) receiver to receive an IR signal from an audience remote control.

21. A system as defined in claim 20, wherein the mobile device interface comprises a radio frequency (RF) modulator to modulate at least one of the audio signal or the IR signal to an RF signal.

22. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless microphone receiver to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from the mobile device interface.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the wireless microphone receiver comprises an RF demodulator to demodulate the received RF signal, the demodulated signal to be transmitted to a data acquisition interface.

24. A system as defined in claim 15 further comprising a central data store to receive audience behavior data from a data acquisition interface.

25. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein the wireless interface comprises one or more of a wireless access point, a wireless user identifier (WUI), and a wireless microphone receiving device.

26. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein the wireless access point comprises a transmitter and receiver to transmit and receive audio-visual signals via an 802.11-type format.

27. A system as defined in claim 25 wherein the WUI comprises at least one of a radio frequency (RF) receiver, or an RF to infra-red (IR) converter.

28. A system as defined in claim 27, wherein the WUI is a peoplemeter.